Men Arrested Near U.S. Air Base in England; Bomb Disposal Team Deployed

Several men have been arrested on suspicion of crimes related to explosives at a village near an air base used by U.S. forces, police in southwestern England stated on Sunday. Police in Gloucestershire declared a major incident and evacuated several properties in the Whelford area following the arrests, which were made on suspicion of offences under the explosives act. A bomb disposal team was deployed to examine a number of vehicles at the scene. Local residents were evacuated, and a cordon was established, but authorities indicated that the incident is contained. Whelford is located near RAF Fairford, a base that American forces have used for limited strikes during the war with Iran. Following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, the U.K. government permitted American military operations from the Fairford base targeting Iranian missile sites. However, police did not confirm whether the arrests were connected to the air base. A U.S. Air Force spokesperson noted that personnel at RAF Fairford remain vigilant but declined to discuss specific security measures. The spokesperson stated, 'We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.' Security measures have reportedly increased in recent days at the air base, with additional roadblocks and armed police preventing access, according to an eyewitness cited by Reuters. A spokesperson for the U.K. government expressed gratitude to emergency services for their prompt response and stated that it would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.